Building construction



June 5, 1923.

J. N. M DONALD BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 6, 1921 BM mm W m M d A TTOR/VEVS Patented June 5, id,

UNHTE TATES PATENT (CEFFHGEQ t an (1 OSEPEL NON HAODUNALD, 0F AELKNGTQN, llZEhAGHUBE'EIEh BUILDING CONBTBUCTKQN.

Application filled catcher a, 1921. Serial Ho, totfitt.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr Nnw'ron Mac- DONALD, a citizen of the United States, and

the blocks upon which they aresuperimposed. The panels in the outside wall are preferably provided upon their inner face a resident of Arlington in the county of with a t of waterproof material, desigave Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, invented a new and Improved Building Construction, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. 7

This invention relates to improvements in building constructions, anobject of the invention being to provide ant improved hollow wall construction, wherem the cost of construction is reduced to a minim,

and a building may be constructed in a minimum amount of time.

A still further object is to provide certain improved fastening means for holding the blocks in a wall together, which Wlll do away in a great measure the use of mortar.

Still another object is to provide a hollow wall construction for buildin which will be damp-proof, and Which wil be simple, practical and durable.

With these and other objects in view,- the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary tperspective view looking at the outside o a hollow Figure 2 is a similar view taken from the inside oi a wall;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in transverse section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Fi ure t is a similar view on the line t-d of igure 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional view;

Figuretl is a perspective view of one of the connecting irons;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of one of the reinforcing e ements; and

Figure 8 is a perspective viewcf one of my improved fastening members.

Referring in detail to the drawings, it will be seen that l provide a hollow wall building construction which comprises an inner wall 1 and an outer wall 2 spaced apart. Each wall is formed of relatively thin rectangular slabs or anels 3, arranged in'superimposed rows. s is customary in the art, the intermediate portions of one row of blocks or panels cover the corners of nated by the reference numeral 4. The blocks may either be treated to obtain this waterproof finish, or maybe covered with any suitable material for the purpose.

The blocks of the outside wall are secured together by mortar in the customary manner and the blocks of the inside wall are retained in position by an im roved fastening means to be more fully escribed hereinafter. Adjacent the end of each block,there are provided in the up er edges of the blocks recesses, such as 5. he walls of these reoesses are reinforced by any suitable devices, desi ated by the reference numeral 6, cm-

bed ed in the blocks. Obviously the reinforcing members 6' might take an infinite variety of shapes and any reinforcing memher which includes a pair of looped e ments 7 cooperating to form a strengthening band in the walls of the recesses might be used.

l have used the numeral 8 to designate connecting irons of substantially U-shape and including at their ends arms 9 which are adapted to fit into the recesses 5 in the blocks of the inner and outer walls and firmly connect the walls. Short transverse depressions 10 in the upper edges of the blocks communicate with the recesses 5 so that the intermediate portions of the connecting irons 8 are located below the lanes of the upper edges of the blocks and 0 not interfere with the su erimposition of the blocks one upon the ot er.

lit has been previously noted that the blocks of the inner wall are secured together by fastening members rather than by mortar, these fastening members not only reducing the cost of construction, but also expeditin the assembling of the blocks. The form 0 the fastening members, designated in their entirety by the reference numeral 11 is shown clearly in Figure 8, where it will be seen that the fasteners comprise lengths of wire, the intermediate portions-12 ofi which, are bent into substantially U-shape. The ends of the wire leading from the extremities of the arms of the U are then curled into substantially circular shape, as indicated at 13, the circular members being located in a transverse plane to the plane of the intermediate portion of the U and forming in efiiect wheels, each having one radial spoke lltlll llltl 1 blocks in the inside wall, the intermediate portion 12 thereof resting on the blocks and supportin the fasteners, and the circular members fieing located upon opposite sides of the blocks in the wall and-tending to securely hold the same against lateral displacement.

It has heretofore been noted that the shape of the reinforcing members 6 mi ht be considerably changed without affecting their usefulness. The exact shape of the fastener members 11 might also be modified and various other slight changes and alterations might be made in the general form and arrangement of the parts described without departing from the invention and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details set forth, but shall consider myself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

In constructing partition walls, the use of mortar is done away with entirely and the hollow Wall comprises an inner and outer shell both secured together by the fasteners illustrated in Figure 8 and connected by the irons hereinbefore described.

'I claim:

1. In a hollow wall construction, a-pair of spaced walls, each comprising superimposed tiers of relatively thin slabs, said slabs "having vertical recesses in their top faces and transverse grooves leading from the recesses out through the inner faces of the slabs, reinforcing members having openings at about the middle of their length and embedded in the slabs adjacent their top faces and extending longitudinally thereof with their openings registering with the recesses of said slabs, and U-shaped irons connecting the walls, the arms of the irons being located in the openings of the reinforcing members and the recesses of the slabs and the body portion adjacent the arms ly-- ing in the grooves.

2. In a hollow wall construction, a'pair ofspacedwalls, each comprising tiers of relatively thin slabs, said slabs having vertical recesses in their top faces, reinforcing wire members having looped ends and coils at the center of their length, said members being embedded in the slabs and extending longitudinally thereof with their coils registering with the recesses of the slabs, and U-shaped irons connecting walls, the arms of the irons being located in the coils of the reinforcing members and the recesses of the slabs. a

3. In a wall construction, a series of superimposed slabs, fastener elements retaining said slabs in vertical alinement, each element comprising a U-shaped member having the extremities of its arms bent into ring-shape.

4. In a hollow wall construction, a pair of spaced walls, each comprising a plurality v of superimposed slabs having recesses in their top faces, reinforcing membershaving openings and embedded in the slabs with their openings registering with therecesses of the slabs, U-sha ed bars extending between the Walls an havin their arms engaging the recesses of the s abs, and fastening members securing the slabs of each wall together and in vertical alineme'nt, said members having enlarged ends to engage the inner and outer faces of ad'acent slabs.

JOSEPH NEWTON MAC ONALD. 

